Page 60 - Design for Environment A Guide to Sustainable Product Development

External Drivers: The Voice of Society 39

1990s as a way to harmonize the national standards that were emerg-
ing, led by the United Kingdom’s BSI 7750 standard, and followed
by a host of other countries, including Canada, Ireland, France, the
Netherlands, and South Africa. The overarching standard is 14001,
which defines the EMS principles against which an organization
can be certified by a third party, called a “registrar.” As shown in
Figure 3.2, the EMS framework is based on the “plan-do-check-act”
model for continuous improvement. The series of 14000 standards
and guidelines covers specific elements of the framework, such as
environmental auditing, product labeling, life-cycle assessment, and
environmental performance measurement; however, there is little
guidance on the actual practice of DFE. Additional guidelines and
standards under development by ISO include ISO 26000 on social
responsibility, ISO 21930 on environmental declaration of building
products, and ISO 50001 on energy management.
Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS). The EMAS certi -

ficate can only be awarded in the European Union and represents a n
alternative to ISO 14001 certification. The first version was published
in 1995, and it was revised in March 2001 (EMAS II) to extend to all
economic sectors, including public and private services. It is similar
to ISO 14001 in embracing continuous improvement principles for
environmental management, but the requirements are more strin-
gent and involve greater transparency. To receive EMAS certification
a company must publish an environmental management policy state-
ment and undergo comprehensive eco-audits by external parties.

FIGURE 3.2 Elements of an environmental management system.